The Dragon
by STARR9781
Summary: "I know this is difficult," I whispered, looking down at my hands. "But I need you to understand me, even if you can't respond. I need you to understand that I need you desperately. Because I won't survive if you leave me. And I'm sorry for that. I apologize for needing you so much."


A loud shrill rang through the land, making me jump and turn quickly. I hurried from my bucket where I was scrubbing clothes clean and looked out the window, spotting people running and screaming and warriors carrying swords in the other direction. What is going on? I ran from the room, gathering up the bottom of my rag dress to be sure not to trip as I went. There were women running in the opposite direction screaming, but I pushed my way through to get outside. As I broke through into the sun, it took a second for my eyes to adjust to the brightness, but once they did, I wished they hadn't. Standing before me was a huge black dragon. My breath hitched in my throat and I stared directly into its dark eyes. They were wild, but too knowing, too intelligent. Like it was human, almost. Like it wasn't acting on instinct. It didn't move to hurt me. Just stared, too close for me to breathe evenly.

"Takhara (_tuh-kaw-ruh_)!" Then it broke. The dragon roared and flapped its wings, clawing me across the chest and knocking me down. Then there was a horrible, agonizing screech and the dragon fell back, 12 daggers protruding from its chest. I looked back up and saw Circes standing over me triumphantly, smiling smugly at the fallen dragon. My sister, Silone, appeared in front of him, looking hysterical with tears running down her face as she knelt beside me.

"I'm fine," I said, knowing she was eyeing the scratches on my chest that were dripping blood onto my now ripped dress.

"Let's get you cleaned up," she said, barely audible over the cheering of the warriors. She helped me back inside and patched my wounds up before sending me back to clean. Well that was quick. The day dragged on, the dragon being the buzz for the servants and whores, but any other news didn't reach us. I sat in my room reading when Circes finally came. I was expecting him to come. I was said to be his favorite girl in the land. That's what everyone said. He never did, but I also never saw him with anyone else.

"Are you avoiding me?" he asked and I shook my head. It was a lie. "I sent for you. Did you not hear of it?" I shook my head again. Another lie. One of the servants had come and told me he'd sent for me, but I refused to go. I hated Circes with a deep passion. He was convinced that he could do and say what he pleased, and in actuality, he could, but I wouldn't be kind to someone as such. I may not be able to strike him, but I sure as hell could ignore him and his requests. Circes is the top warrior of Xenovara (_zen-no-vaw-ruh_). He was set up like a god here. High up on the scale and the fantasy of every woman who doesn't really _know_ him. He's handsome, too. Big sea green eyes with a strong jaw and muscled body not too tall, not too short with dark brown hair that sort of curled its way to fit his head, like it had to obey. He was strong and used to being in control, a little arrogant, but that's mostly because of the high pedestal everyone has raised him on. He could literally have anything he wanted. And he is a nice man, but he has a bad temper that flares without warning. "I sent Freesia to tell you."

"I didn't hear of it. Maybe she hasn't gotten to it." He stared at me for a while, then smiled and sat beside me on the bed, pulling me up and holding me to him by my waist. He kissed me and trailed his hand along my thigh and I shivered involuntarily, fighting the urge to move away. That's when he'd get angry.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to send for you. Maybe you'd come to me. I was waiting."

"I had to clean," I answered simply. His hand hesitated then continued its stroke along my thigh. Up and down. Up and down. Gentle now, but it would get rougher if I angered him.

"Well, come now." And then the panic. It rolled into my heart, looping its way through my bones and leaving an icy trail in my body.

"I…Circes, I really don't want to tonight." That's when his hand stopped.

"What?"

"I just…I'm tired and sore from work and then the dragon scratch…I just want to rest."

"But I saved your life. I came down here to see you," he said, his voice getting hard and angry, his eyes blazing into a darker green. Like moss with tints of gold.

"I didn't need you to save me. I was alright. I don't feel I should reward you for what you chose to do." He glared, then slapped me and I yelped and fell back onto the bed. I was about to scamper away, but he grabbed me and hovered above me.

"You ungrateful whore! I risked my life to save yours! I saved your life! You would be dead if it weren't for me!"

"Let go of me!" He hit me again and I screamed, tears coming in my eyes. He started ripping at my dress and I thrashed, trying to fight him off, but he was a lot stronger than me.

"Takhara, you have to—" Silone popped in, looking eager, but stopped as she saw us. "What are you doing to her?"

"Get out," he growled, still holding me down. Silone was the only person here who was not afraid of Circes. I'm not sure exactly how she came to be so fearless, but she came over and grabbed Circes, pulling him off of me. He hit her and she froze. I saw the hurt in her hazel eyes, then it was replaced by anger and she slapped him back, clear across the face, and the spot immediately reddened. She stood up to him, sizing him up, anger flaring.

"_Get…away…from her_." He glared for a while then stood and moved away from me. "We have a house of whores here. You want to fuck, go to one of them." He looked at me and I squirmed under his gaze. "Get out." He turned back to Silone and looked back at me before walking away. I exhaled with a gasp, not realizing I'd been holding my breath. She sat beside me and pulled me to her in a tight hug. "Are you okay?" I nodded, coughing and wiping away the tears. "I'm sorry. I should have been here. I'll handle him later."

"It's fine. I'm okay."

"No you're not. You're vulnerable. He'll come back for you again. I need to stop him and his antics."

"Really, Silone, I'm fine." She looked like she was about to argue. "What did you come to tell me?" That brightened her up again and she beamed, eyes bright with wonder.

"That wasn't a real dragon."

"What?"

"I don't know how it's possible, but when Circes stabbed him and the others went to burn him on a pier, he turned into a man and just…walked out of the fire." My eyes widened and I furrowed my eyebrows.

"A man? Who is he?"

"Khal Drogo. An ancient Dothraki warrior that died at the hands of a witch."

"Dothraki? We cannot house him here."

"We have to. I guess the transition didn't do his body any good. He's weak. He can barely move and he struggles to speak. We can't just toss him out."

"Who will communicate with him?"

"John and Freesia speak Dothraki. And a few others. Do you know how great this is? We would be invincible with Drogo on our side."

"But—"

"No buts. We're going to take extra good care of him, and you are the prime healer here." I shook my head quickly.

"I can't. I can't do that. The Dothraki—"

"Are not here. You have to heal him, Takhara."

"Father wouldn't approve."

"Father? We're bastards, Takhara. If you haven't noticed, _father_ hasn't come to see us in years. Since you were a baby. He's moved on. Why bother worrying about what he wants?"

"Because we're on his land."

"Yet so far away." I sighed, but didn't argue anymore. Silone would win in the end. And I couldn't just let the man die, no matter how much of a traitor healing him would make me. I followed her down the long, narrow, never-ending hall—which always smelled like sex and things like lavender and honeysuckle to try to mask it—and upstairs to the healing room. Inside, lying on a mat covered halfway with a sheet, was a man with dark tan skin, thick eyebrows and huge rippling muscles with darkness circling his eyes, like ink, and long brown hair roping down the side of the bed. He looked so strong and definitely out of place in the small little room. The only thing big in the room was the tall cabinet full of herbs and medicines and gauze (A/N: yes, they had gauze). I moved in cautiously. He was too still except for the rise and fall of his chest. He was staring straight up at the ceiling and I was sure he was completely out of it, until his eyes shifted to me. I froze with a gasp, shocked by the intensity of his dark gaze. I looked at Silone, who hadn't moved in. She still stood in the doorway, looking at me calmly. She nodded in encouragement and I turned back and looked at the man. He'd never taken his eyes from me. Something stirred in the corner of the room and I turned quickly, seeing Freesia stand, her blonde hair chopped short at the base of her neck in curls and her dull gray eyes tired.

"Takhara, this is Khal Drogo." I glanced back at him then quickly looked away. She said something in Dothraki to Drogo and he looked at her and nodded then said something back to her. I just stood there awkwardly watching. His voice was so deep.

"What did he say?" I asked urgently.

"I told him who you were and asked if he was alright with you taking care of him now. I told him you didn't speak Dothraki and you wouldn't understand him much, but he knows a few words and I said I would teach you."

"Does he…can he eat yet? Has he eaten?"

"Yes, but he's not used to our meats and the way we cook. I was thinking maybe you could cook instead because you're used to cooking out in the wild and things like that." I nodded and turned to Khal Drogo.

"How is he?"

"Weak, but he is healing. He's better than he was an hour ago. It's progression."

"Okay. Are…are you staying in here with me?"

"No. He doesn't want me to." I looked at her, shocked.

"Why not?" She shrugged and I looked at Drogo then back to Freesia. "Okay…" She nodded and said something to Khal Drogo before walking out. Silone gave me a small encouraging smile before shutting the door with a definite _click_, leaving a room full of silence. I stared at the door, willing myself to turn and face the beastly man, but I couldn't bring my body to cooperate. But, if I didn't help, then he'd possibly die and I'd be responsible. I forced my legs over to the cabinet across the room, grateful for the space, even if it was small. It gave me something to do other than look into those harsh and intense eyes of his. I heard a rustling and froze, turning slowly to see him sitting up, watching me. I noticed a long slice on his chest that was still red, but forming into a whelp, then quickly looked away. "I'm Takhara," I said in a soft voice. "I know you probably don't understand me, but…I just need to talk because you're a freakishly large intimidating man and I'm terrified." I walked back over to him with the mix of ginger, marigold, vervain, chamomile and black cohosh and stood by him self-consciously. He stared up at me blankly. I didn't like the way he stared at me, like he was about to strike me or something. "You have to drink this." He didn't respond, so I motioned for him to drink. Still nothing. I handed him the bowl, but he still didn't move. I began to wonder if he was dysfunctional physically when he took the bowl and drank the mix in one huge gulp, then gave me back the bowl. I hesitated, then took it and walked back to the cabinet, sitting the bowl down on the table. This time I just mixed vervain with mint, cocoa and black cohosh and mushed it into a paste then walked back to where he was still sitting up. "I need you to lie back." I raised my hands to show I wouldn't hurt him. I don't know why. It's not like I could actually do much harm. I lightly touched his shoulder with one hand and his chest with the other then began lying him back. He hesitated, still frozen, then started leaning back, his face twisting a little and I thought he was really about to hit me, but then I realized it wasn't anger. It was pain. That's why he was so still. It hurt him to move. "I'm sorry," I whispered, still not sure why. He couldn't understand me. Once he was down, his body relaxed and he breathed out through his nose. I pulled the covers up to his waist then took some of the new mix in my hand, spreading it on the gash on his chest to heal. "It's a good thing you'll be inside. The bugs love the cocoa. Especially mosquitos and more disease is not what you need right now," I said with a small smile. His face never changed. I cleared my throat and put some water in a cup then lifted him up some to drink it. He took the cup and, again, drowned the water in one gulp before handing me the cup again. I turned to leave.

"More." I froze and shivered a little at how deep and demanding his voice was. He emanated power from his body, commanded respect, and projected defiance with just his being. But when he spoke, it was as if you had no choice but to give him what he wanted. I turned to him and he just sat, still watching me. It was starting to upset me instead of scare me. Can't he look at something else? The wall, the ceiling, the window, himself, something. I filled the cup with more water and gave it to him. He sat back once he was done, satisfied. I stood there a while, waiting for something, anything. Nothing happen. I turned and sat down the cup then moved to the chair in the corner, curling up in it and opening my book back up. He'd need another mix in about 3 hours or so, but for now, there was nothing to do. Since I was taking care of Drogo, Freesia would be doing my work for me until he was fully healed and could function on his own. And I wasn't supposed to leave the room unless 100% necessary, unfortunately. So, for now, reading in the corner is my fun. After about an hour, Drogo's breathing slowed and I looked up, seeing his eyes were closed and he was asleep. He looked so different asleep. Kinda peaceful. Still a little scary, but not as bad as before. I put down my book and stood, walking towards the door to leave, then walked down the hall towards the stairs. It felt so weird being up here just wandering around. I was usually called on to heal people that were really close to death or high end guards or royals, which was not very often. So majority of my time was spent downstairs cleaning or, if Circes sent for me, upstairs with him, unfortunately. I walked past a guard who smiled at me mischievously and I hurried down the hall towards the steps. It was the man that usually flanked Circes, so if he was here, Circes wasn't far, and I _did not _want to run into him again. I hurried down the steps and towards my room, pushing aside the curtain being used as a door only to find Circes there, pacing back and forth. He looked up as I entered and I turned quickly to leave.

"Wait." I stopped and heard his heavy boots hitting the floor, getting closer. He moved my hair to the side and snaked his arms around my waist before kissing the space between my neck and shoulder. "I apologize for earlier. I was out of line." I didn't respond. "I promise to fix my temper. I won't hurt you that way anymore. I swear." Still nothing. "I brought you something." He released me and turned me to face him, smiling bright. He pulled out a gold necklace studded with large uncut diamonds and pearls with an attached pendant studded with ruby and emerald. "Here, let me put it on you." He moved towards me, but I held up my hand.

"I don't want it."

"What?"

"You cannot just hurt and abuse me then buy some gold and pearls and diamonds and just expect everything to be alright once more."

"Takhara—"

"Please leave." He eyed me for a while and I squirmed under his gaze. "Circes, please just go."

"You know I love you, right?"

"No you don't. _This_ is not love, Circes." He shook his head and pulled me to him.

"Yes it is."

"Please, just let go—"

"Stop rejecting me, Takhara."

"I don't want to be with you. Can you not see that?"

"Stop lying to yourself."

"Circes—"

"How did I know this is what I'd find when I came down here?" Silone said behind me. Circes sighed and glared at her.

"Don't you have cleaning to do?"

"Not yet, but I will soon when I am cleaning up your limbs if you don't get away from my sister."

"We're just talking, Silone."

"I don't want you talking to her. And let her go." He loosened his grip and I slipped from his hold. Silone grabbed my arm and pulled me away from him, glowering. "This is my last warning, Circes. Stay away from her." He narrowed his eyes, staring at Silone, then looked at me, hiding behind her.

"I love her."

"No you don't. You want what you can't have." He shook his head and moved to leave out, but stopped, holding the curtain aside.

"You shouldn't let her control your life, Takhara," he said, turning back to me. "You can make your own decisions." I stared back at him, taking in the intensity of his gaze, then looked down.

"Please go," I said, barely audible.

"We'll finish this talk later." And with that, he was gone.

"Go on back to the healing room. Drogo is probably awake now." I looked at her, scrutinizing her, then shook my head and headed out. Something clicked in my head and I stopped.

"Silone…"

"What's wrong?" I turned back to her and cocked my head.

"What were you doing down here?" She smiled.

"Looking for you. I went to the healing room, but you weren't there, so I came here." I nodded and turned, walking away finally. I didn't believe her, though. Something about her sugary sweet smile and high voice made me wonder. I slipped back into the healing room and, sure enough, Khal Drogo was sitting up on the bed. His eyes shifted to me and I froze before regaining myself, sending for water and walking in, shutting the door behind me. His skin was coated in sweat and his face was a mix between anger and agony. He was hurting himself, trying to get himself back to normal.

"You're straining yourself," I say, rushing to him and eyeing him, hesitating before touching his face. He was normal temperature, so it was definitely from strain. "You'll never get better if you do not allow yourself to heal, Drogo." Someone cleared their throat behind me and I turned as Freesia made her way in carrying a bale of water with a rag.

"Silone told me you needed hot water." I nodded and glanced at Drogo before moving away to take the water. "I will handle it. You finish what you were doing."

"I was just absently chastising him," I insisted, shrugging as I took the bale from her and sat it beside Drogo's feet for easy access. "I feel he understands me."

"He does, for the most part. That doesn't mean he can speak it. He only understands a little, though. Simple words. His former wife, in his old life, Daenerys Targaryen, spoke the king's English, so he picked up a few words."

"How do you know all of this?" I asked, staring in disbelief.

"I know everything there is to know about the seven kingdoms and all that is connected to them, especially the Dothraki. My father was Dothraki." She smiled and motioned to the bale. "What are your plans for this?"

"Do a quick wash. It won't be as painful as getting him up and walking to the wash room. I do not want him moving so much, though he does not seem to care what I want, as you can tell." She laughed and said something to him in Dothraki, making him grunt. But whatever it was, he relaxed himself. "What did you say to him?"

"That you needed him to stop straining himself and that he needed to relax and trust you. That you know what you are doing." I looked at him and he was eyeing me with less animosity, too. "If you need something translated, just tell me. I am never far away." I nodded once and she did a small bow to Drogo before making her way to the door. Drogo said something in that deep voice of his and she froze and shuddered then turned to look at him, then at me, her eyes wide and her mouth open in shock.

"What's wrong?" She looked back and forth between us, then shook her head and continued walking, giving a small nod of acknowledgement. I looked back at Drogo, who was, as expected, already watching me. I dug the rag out of the bucket of water and rung it a little before looking at him. "I won't hurt you, okay?" He stared for a while, then gave one slight nod. It's a start. I ran it along his face gently and slowly, cautious not to scare him. He didn't respond, but I guess that was a response in itself. He trusted me. Either that, or he had gained enough strength that if I did try something, he'd be able to stop and kill me in an instant. The second would come as no surprise being he's twice my size and could easily snap me like a twig. I paused at the bruise on his chest, which had turned a bright red, like blood, but it was closed and it wasn't bleeding. I lightly ran my finger along it then looked up at his face. "Does this hurt?" He stared at me and I watched his expression as I slowly added slight pressure. His face never changed. I was about to move my hand, but suddenly his was pressed over mine. I gasped and froze, eyes wide, then quickly snatched my hand away, falling back. "Wh…why did you do that?"

"Takhara?" I whipped around to see Freesia watching me curiously. "Is something wrong?" She asked, glancing at Drogo then back, worried now. I shook my head and stood.

"No. I…I just fell. The water burned my hand a little. I'm fine. Do you mind washing him while I go tend to my hand?" She nodded hesitantly and I walked towards the door. And there was that deep, commanding voice. I froze and turned.

"Takhara…"

"What's wrong?" I whispered, my voice shaking.

"He doesn't want you to leave. He…he wants me to. He trusts you." I looked at Freesia and narrowed my eyes, suspicious.

"What is going on, Freesia?"

"Nothing. He just trusts you."

"Oh really? Then why are you shaking and look so nervous?" She shook her head and stood watching me, a slight fear in her eyes. I narrowed mine and folded my arms over my chest. "Ask him if he is strong enough to walk yet? I want to get him up and walking for a bit so he can gain his strength." She complied with my request, translating, and Drogo looked at me, then nodded, saying something to Freesia.

"Yes." I sighed and looked at him.

"Tell him I will be back in a moment. I just need to do something. Could you stay here with him?" She nodded and I hurried out the room, needing some air. I stepped outside and gripped the wall, placing my hand over my stomach and breathing deeply.

"Takhara?" I lifted my head and looked up at Amaris, the mother figure of the clan, although she is only 38. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, I just. I just needed some air for a moment." She smiled and held my hand.

"I heard what you are doing for the Khal. I think it is the bravest thing that anyone could do. We have no idea what this man is capable of. We have seen no Dothraki in years, and this is the work of witchcraft, which makes us even more ignorant to his state of being. So, thank you." I smiled and nodded, though I had no choice in whether I helped him or not. "How is he holding up?"

"He's fine. He's healing more every minute. Once I go back up I'm going to take him out for a walk to get his strength back up, then I'll get him some food that he's used to. He must be hungry."

"It is said that he has been a dragon for centuries. His last wife, Daenerys, died centuries ago, so it must be true. But why was he encased in a dragon's form?"

"I don't know. Freesia. She knows all about the Dothraki and the 7 kingdoms. Ask Freesia. She can give you answers. Excuse me," I said, walking around her and hurrying across the field to the forest. I didn't stop running until I was enveloped in the tall trees and the sound of nature. I could hear the faint roar of the river not far from here, where we got water. I made my way towards it and stood over the clear water, staring down at my blurry reflection. I pulled my hair to one side and slipped one bare foot into the cool water, then stepped completely in. The water rose up to my ribcage and I scooped up a hand of it and slid my hand along my sweating neck, feeling better already. I dipped down into the water then went completely under, relieving myself of the humid air. I rose up after a while and smoothed my hair and some of the water from my face, blinking rapidly to get the drops off my eyelashes. And there stood Circes. I gasped and froze, not knowing what to do. He lifted one hand and motioned for me with his finger.

"Come out of the water, Takhara." I backed away, shaking my head rapidly. "Takhara," he said in a warning tone. I turned and tried running to the other side of the river, but it was hard with the water beating me down and my dress was now heavier. I climbed out as quickly as I could and turned to see Circes following me through the water. I gathered up the bottom of my dress, panting, and ran in any direction. I don't know where I was going, or what my destination was, I just wanted to get as far away as possible. I hid behind a big tree trunk, trying to slow down my heart rate. It was silent. Completely silent. I closed my eyes a moment, listening hard for his footsteps, and still heard nothing. I got up enough courage to glance around the tree trunk, and saw nothing. Where did he—  
His hand came up around my mouth and he pressed my back into the tree. I screamed into his hand and wiggled to get free, but it did nothing but jam the rough trunk into my back. He removed his hand and I screamed, then a blow went to my stomach and I coughed, hunching over a little, but he forced me back up.

"I told you not to run from me."

"Circes—"

"Why can't you just listen to me so I won't have to hurt you?" Tears began to well in my eyes.

"Please, Circes."

"Please what?"

"Let me go. Please just let me go." He glared down at me then shook his head, reaching a hand up and I closed my eyes and winced, waiting for the blow, but he stroked my cheek lightly with his thumb. I opened my eyes and the anger was gone from his.

"Relax." I tried to breathe evenly, but I couldn't feign it.

"Please," I begged, the tears rolling down my face. He shook his head and cupped my chin, raising my head so my eyes met his.

"I just want to love you, Takhara. That's all I want. Can you let me do that?" he said, moving closer so our faces were inches apart. "Will you let me love you?" he asked, kissing my head, then my nose and pausing before his lips met mine. I squirmed and he hardened the kiss, pressing me into the tree more. I tried turning my head, but he gripped my chin harder to prevent me from moving. I brought my hands up to his chest and tried pushing him away, but he didn't budge, so I brought my knee up to his groin with as much force as I could muster up and he snatched away and doubled over in pain with a grunt. I ran from around the tree and back the way I'd come, but he caught my ankle and I fell face first into the dirt. "Bitch!" I tried to crawl away to get up, but he dragged me back and flipped me over, pressing himself to me. I whimpered and lifted my head, still squirming to get free and pushing at his chest, but it did absolutely nothing. "Stop fighting me!" He hoisted me up over his shoulder and I kicked and wiggled and hit against his back as he started walking deeper into the forest. I began screaming, even though I knew no one could hear me. I bit into his shoulder as hard as I could and he yelled out and tossed me onto the ground, making dark spots dot my vision once my head and back hit the ground. And it only got worse when he hit me. I froze a moment, trying to regain my sight to fight, but he was already on top of me, and my weak hits and pushes did nothing as he yanked my dress up and out of his way. That's when I stopped. There was nothing I could do anymore. He'd won, like he always did. Circes always got what he wanted, and what he wanted now was me. Submission. So I squeezed my eyes shut and cried silently and endured it.  
Once he'd finished, he rose up and stared down at me as I pushed my dress back down and curled onto my side, wrapping my arms around my middle and crying, giving low sniffles and whimpers and coughs.

"All you had to do was cooperate, Takhara. This all could have been so much easier." I felt like I couldn't breathe. Like my lungs were squeezing inside of my chest and my throat was closing up slowly. "Get up." I didn't move a muscle. My entire body ached and I couldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing he'd physically hurt me. So defiance was my goal of appearance. "Takhara—"

"Leave me alone."

"Get up now."

"Just leave me alone!" In an instant, he grabbed me and pulled me to my feet, making me yell out in pain. He held me by my arms tight and I looked away from him, trying to get free, but that only made him tighten his grip, which made my stomach do a somersault of pain.

"Why are you making this so difficult? Why can't you just let me love you?"

"I hate you!" He froze a moment, then shook his head.

"No you don't."

"Yes I do. I hate you with everything I have in me. Now let go of me!" He slammed me into a tree and I winced in pain.

"I will kill you, right here, right now, Takhara."

"Then do it," I hissed back, glaring up at him. His hand clamped around my throat and squeezed tight. I gasped and squirmed to get free as dark spots dotted my vision and everything turned into a blur.

"Excuse me, sir." Circes released me and I crumbled to the ground, coughing and gasping for breath. I got up and ran as my vision began to clear. I didn't stop running until I was back at the homestead. It was almost nightfall. Oh goodness. I ran inside and up to the healing room, which was empty. Where is he? Freesia probably took him to walk or eat or something. I fell to the floor and curled up and began to cry.

"Takhara?" I looked up as Freesia walked in with Drogo towering behind her. I stood and wiped my face, offering a phony smile.

"Hi. I, uh…I'm sorry for taking so long. I just got caught up and…" I couldn't finish what I was saying. She eyed me a while, then stepped in with her hand on Drogo's wrist.

"I took him walking. He did well. He should probably go eat now, though, so do you mind taking him to eat? John made him something that should be suitable. Hopefully he can keep it down." I nodded and hesitated before walking over. She looked down at my dress and I stopped. "Why are you all wet?"

"I…"

"Go get cleaned up. I'll wait with him for you." I nodded lamely then walked out and down to my room. I cleaned myself up in the washroom then dressed again before staring at myself in the mirror. I had bruises along my arms, as expected, and on my back there were big dark bruises coating my pale skin. It looked bad, but not as bad as expected. I pulled my dress up and left my hair hanging down freely to cover up my back a little more. I wore a cloak to hide the bruises on my arms, too, then I slipped back upstairs to the healing room, where Drogo and Freesia were speaking to each other. I hesitated at the door, then he turned to me. Freesia followed and smiled at me. "John will be downstairs with you. To translate." Something in her eyes said that there was more behind it, but I didn't pry.

"Okay." She stood and I walked over to help Drogo stand, although he didn't seem to need much of it.

"Take it easy on the steps. He's still in a little pain, though he pretends he isn't. If he protests with help, ignore him. He's harmless, so don't be afraid to assert yourself. No matter how mean he looks, he's sweet. I promise. He won't hurt you." I nodded and she walked towards the door. "I'll be downstairs if you need me, alright?" I nodded again, silently begging her not to leave me alone. Once she was gone, I glanced up at Drogo, then reached for his hand. He reached, but not for my hand. He pulled my cloak away and I gasped and tried to back away from him, but he caught my wrist gently, but firmly, and pulled me back to him.

"What are you doing?" He held out my arm and narrowed his eyes as he looked down at it. He was making me nervous. He spoke in Dothraki and I closed my eyes, hating that I couldn't understand him.

"Why…are you bruised?" I opened my eyes and looked up at him. Did he just speak English?

"What?"

"Why are you bruised?" he repeated, this time, a little more assertive. I stared at him in disbelief.

"I…from cleaning. I—" He began shaking his head and I sighed.

"Who did this?"

"How can you speak—"

"_Who_?" he repeated, raising his voice.

"Khal Drogo…let me go." He didn't move an inch. "Please." His eyes shifted to my face, then he released me. "You need to eat." I pulled my cloak back onto my arms and reached for his hand again. He took it and I led him out the room and upstairs to the kitchen. I'd lost my appetite a long time ago, so I wasn't in the mood to eat. John was there waiting as he spoke with Amaris. They both turned to us as we entered. Amaris smiled and looked at us both, then focused on Drogo.

"Khal Drogo, it is quite an honor to have you on our land," Amaris said, as John translated for her. "I am Amaris, mother of the land. If there be anything you need, just ask and, if in good will, it shall be given to you." He nodded, never taking his eyes from her. And I don't blame him. Amaris is beautiful. Bright, unforgettable eyes the color of pure gold, long ebony locks roped in a braid down her back, beautiful bronze skin and a perfect figure with a kind smile. It was a wonder why she was not named for, but it may be because no one has been worthy of her presence, let alone her heart. "I have heard of your journey to our world, encased in the body of a dragon, and I have heard of your legend of leading the Dothraki through triumph, being unbeatable. And your hair still shows so to prove the story to be true. I am honored to be in your presence," she said, bowing lightly to him. Amaris, basically the goddess on our land and all over, was bowing to this man. I have never seen her so much as nod in the direction of anyone. And here she was, bowing to a Dothraki man who appeared out of nowhere. He spoke back to her and she nodded in response. Obviously everyone on the land spoke Dothraki but me. Then her eyes met mine and she smiled. "Dearest, Takhara, you are a blessing to us, yet you do not act as so." I glanced down and she motioned me over. "Come, child." I obeyed and she placed her hand under my chin and lifted my head. "Hold your head up so you don't drop your crown." I stared at her, confused, and she kissed my forehead. "A man cares for you and you do not even consider yourself worthy of his presence, so you tremble in fear, even though he knew you were a queen the moment he saw you." Has she spoken to Circes? He must have spoken to her before the forest. Unless he was back now. I wouldn't be surprised. I doubt he walked all that way. He had to have taken a horse. She smiled and nodded to us all. "I must be going now." She left the kitchen, leaving an icy air in her trail. I stood there, dumbfounded and not knowing what to do. I'd forgotten what I was supposed to even be doing until John sat down a plate of meat and stew and a bowl of what looked like acacia, agave, amaranth and chicory. Healing plants. Good idea. He'll be healing from the inside and the outside. He sat down to eat and looked so off sitting there. I wonder if all Dothraki were as tall and muscular and vicious looking as he was. I had only heard of the legends and stories, some make believe, some true. The Dothraki were forbidden on the land, though, under my father's rule. He is the king, King Geoffrey. Has a wife and a family, of course, and, yes, he had a 3 year rendezvous with my mother, Helena. She got pregnant with Silone and he made her believe he would give up the crown for her so she'd stay around and stay quiet. Then I came along and she left him. Ran off with some clan of travelers. Apparently being the king's mistress wasn't all it was cracked up to be once you're pregnant, poor and lonely. Can't have much fun as the other woman if you're pregnant. She died along the way when I was 1 from going ill. We'd been resting here in the homestead for the night. When she died, the women—and by women I mean the whores and washers—of the homestead all took care of Silone and I. Once Silone was old enough, she kinda took on the role of older sister/ mother figure for the two of us. She did the cooking and cleaning for a while, then I took part in it too. Now, I'm honestly not sure what Silone does. Occasionally I'll see her in the kitchen or maybe washing a rag or two, and once she was called for by one of the higher up guards for the night, I think, but she pretty much just walks around keeping everything in order, really. I clean, mostly, and occasionally I'll cook, but my major task is healing. That's my number one job here. I'm the healer and the best at it, so with the really important or really sick, I'm who they call. It gets really bad in the winter, though, since we've moved further south since last winter, we haven't gotten much of a winter. It's only cold late at night and early in the morning, before the sun rises. Otherwise, it's pretty moderate, which gives me more free time to read, which is my passion. I love to read. And write poetry. I could sit and write poetry every day and never get tired of it. There's this meadow out in the forest a little ways from the river where I go when I want to be alone and write. Not even Silone has seen it. It's my safe haven, when I need to disappear and relax for a while. It's absolutely beautiful in the spring time when the flowers are budding and the sun is shining on the tall fresh grass. I'd lay there for hours on end and pretend nothing else existed but the meadow and myself. Just forget everyone and everything and just be present for once. No worries, no anxiety, no problems, nothing.

"Takhara." I snapped out of my thoughts and looked over to John, who was watching me expectantly.

"Yes?"

"Are you alright?" I nodded.

"Fine."

"Is it true that you are hurt?" My eyes shifted to Drogo and he was watching me, eyes hard and unreadable. "Takhara." I looked back to John and shook my head.

"It's nothing."

"He doesn't seem to think it's nothing. Tell me what happened. We both want to know."

"Nothing happened. It's nothing serious. I'm fine." He said something to Drogo and I glanced back and forth between the two. I didn't know John very well. We rarely had any reason to speak to one another. He was always polite and kind whenever he did speak, though, and he knew of Circes and his antics, since they worked together, I suppose. They'd been partners multiple times in the past years in wars, but John left him after Circes nearly got them killed out of stupidity. Now John has no partner. In war, he relies on himself. And he's smart enough for it, so he survives and lives well. "What? What did you say to him?" John looked at me, but said nothing. "John, I'm fine. It's nothing."

"Fine." He stood and grabbed an apple from the table.

"Where are you going?"

"Duty calls. It's my time to night shift. Circes asked me to take his cover for the night." My breathing hitched at the sound of his name and my eyes widened. John shook his head, having kept his eyes on me the entire time. "Do you really think I'm that stupid, love?"

"John—"

"I knew who it was, Takhara, I was just hoping you'd gained enough courage to tell me or _someone_. I'm going to talk to him."

"No, please," I said, jumping up and grabbing his arm. "Please don't. Then he'll think I told and…and…"

"Takhara, he needs to stop this."

"I'm fine, John. Please. Please don't go to him. I'm begging you." He sighed and looked down at me.

"Alright. I won't go to him. Just…let me talk to Amaris about it—"

"No, don't tell her either. Please don't tell. Please."

"Then what am I supposed to do, then, Takhara?" he said, raising his voice in frustration. I shook my head, trying to will him to understand. Telling anyone would basically get me killed because telling someone would eventually get Circes in the hot seat and he'd come for me.

"I'll take care of it, okay? Just please don't tell anyone."

"Don't tell anyone what?" a voice said and I whipped around to see Circes walking in. My eyes widened and I stepped back out of his way as he moved to the cabinet, picking up an apple as he went and turning it around in his hands. He leaned back against the counter, glancing at Drogo, then John, then finally resting his eyes on me. I released John's arm and stepped around the other side of the table, putting more distance between us. "Hiding things are we? You know, a clan is nothing with secrets. Secrets could end up destroying us all." I looked down, not being able to hold his gaze any longer.

"What are you doing, Circes? You're on watch tonight." John said.

"Just wanted to stop by and grab an apple first." I could feel his eyes boring into me. Drogo said something to John and he laughed. I looked at them, but really looked at Drogo's hair, needing something to focus on. It was almost at the ground when he sat. Didn't he ever want to cut it shorter? "What's so funny?" I wanted to leave the room, but if I was alone, who knows what would happen, so I forced myself to stay there. I walked over to the table and sat beside Drogo. He glanced down at me and I looked up at him, feeling like I maybe shouldn't have sat beside him, but he looked away without making me move, so I was okay.

"Takhara, can I speak with you a moment?" Circes said, having never taken his eyes from me. I looked over at him and shook my head. "Takhara, I need to speak with you," he said, his voice harder this time.

"I can't."

"Takhara—"

"You need to go take post, Circes," John said. He stared me down and I held onto his gaze, squirming and feeling uncomfortable, but not looking away. He nodded once then made his way out. I released the breath I'd been holding and laid my head down on the table.

"Takhara, we need to do something about him."

"Please, John, not now. Please."

"Then when? You don't seem interested in doing anything to keep him away."

"I'll just keep my distance. I'll be extra careful and be sure to avoid him in every way, shape and form, alright?" He looked to Drogo and I turned too, finding him standing directly behind me. I stared up at him, then moved away. He spoke, staring at me.

"He says he is finished. He wants to go outside now," John said.

"But it's dark and he needs his rest." John looked up at Drogo without translating and Drogo said something once more, a little harsher. "What did he say?"

"He wants to go outside, Takhara. Just take him around the homestead and bring him back in to sleep. It won't be that long." I glanced up at him hesitantly, then sighed and looked at the floor.

"Alright. We'll go walk." John rolled his eyes and left from the kitchen. I looked up at Drogo then walked out and back downstairs and outside. I walked slowly, so he could get a good look of everything. The homestead wasn't as small as I thought it was. It wasn't as big as an entire kingdom, but it was pretty large. And it had to be in order to house everyone. We were actually crowded here. Majority of the people were runaways and criminals and outlaws. Then we had travelers and drifters that stopped by all the time, came and gone. All of the men other than a select few hundred were soldiers. They were the ones to go fight enemies and protect the surrounding land. "It's not as interesting as you think." I said, looking up at him. He turned to me, then turned away, looked back around. I sighed, but said nothing as we continued walking.

"Do you belong to him?" I turned back around, shocked. His voice was lower now.

"What?" He looked at me again, but did not repeat himself. "Who do you mean?" Still nothing. "I know you can understand me. Answer me. Who do you speak of?" I stopped and looked at him, then self-consciously pulled my cloak tighter around my arms and pulled my hood over my head, in case Circes was lurking. I knew what he was talking about and I knew he wasn't going to ask again. He just stared down at me blankly, waiting. "No. No, I don't." He spoke in Dothraki, and I had a feeling that it was something rude or judgmental, so I decided not to bother in questioning him. I just wanted to get this walk over with so I could go to my room and be alone. We continued on walking in silence and without seeing Circes.

Spoke too soon. As we made our round back towards the main building, Circes leaned against the wall some ways across from us sharpening his knife. I looked at him, shocked for a moment, then pulled my hood lower to hide my face and continued on, though I knew he was watching me. I walked Drogo to the healing room, helping him into bed and getting him comfortable, then started making a mix for his scar. I moved over to the bed and glanced at his face a moment, then began applying the mix. I accidentally stumbled a bit and caught myself on his chest and jumped back, straightening myself, eyes wide in shock. I furrowed my eyebrows and looked at him again, seeing if he was awake, but he was sound asleep, breathing slowly. I moved back to him and placed a hand on his chest again. His skin was blazing hot and his heart was beating faster than normal. I reached up and touched his head, too, and, still, his skin was extremely hot. I got a rag from the bucket of water in the corner, which was relatively cooler now, and lightly dabbed at his skin in an attempt to cool him down some. I looked at his face and how calm and less threatening he looked and smiled a little. Something was different. Odd.

"Takhara, please wake up," a voice said, breaking into my sleep. Freesia? I opened my eyes and turned to her, seeing that she was crying.

"What's wrong?" I asked, panicking.

"Please, come help him. Please, help him." I didn't bother in asking who it was. It didn't matter. I shot up and ran up to the healing room with Freesia right behind me, lightly sobbing and whimpering. I swung open the door and saw Drogo's bed was empty. Oh no. A figure moved in the corner and I looked, seeing Drogo standing there, perfectly fine. Then who was hurt? And that's when I saw it. A heap of flesh that was a boy lay on a second bed in the corner by the cupboard, his chest rising and falling every so often to prove he was still alive. Barely, but alive. I rushed over to him and started cleaning his face off with a rag to get rid of the blood that stuck to his skin.

"What happened to him?" I asked as I worked, cutting away his shirt with a blade to see if anything was broken. The way the dark bruises popped out on his ribcage, I would suggest he had a few broken ribs. Definitely. He was so thin and frail. Most likely had been starving.

"I don't know. I was in the kitchen getting water then I heard him screaming and begging for someone to stop and I ran out to see what was wrong and I found him in the open field not far from here lying on the ground, a heaping mess and there was blood and he wasn't responding and…and…I didn't know what to do, so I ran and got John and he carried him back here and I came and got you and I don't know what to do or if he'll live and—"

"It's okay, Freesia, it's okay. Calm down. He's breathing. I'll keep him alive. I promise." She burst into tears again and John walked in with two other soldiers and Amaris behind him and looked over at me, then at Freesia.

"John, take Freesia to the kitchen. Calm her down and let her relax a bit," Amaris said. John nodded and ushered Freesia out of the room with one of the other soldiers in tow. The other stayed in the doorway while Amaris stepped in. She looked at Drogo, then smiled and nodded once before coming to stand by me as I worked. I really didn't like for people to be so close while I was working, which is why I was glad Freesia was gone, but I couldn't tell Amaris to move, so I just worked around her. "How is he?"

"He'll live. I'm doing all I can for now while he's unresponsive, but it's a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is, he can't feel pain, so he won't be doing a lot of moving while I work, but the bad thing is he's not responding and I'm not sure what to do and what not to do because I don't know what's wrong with him definitely. He has broken ribs and a lot of blood loss, and he's frail, probably starving. My guess would be that he was beaten, but, again, we won't know for sure until he wakes up." By this time, I'd cleaned all the blood away and wrapped his ribs and everything else I could. He had a few scratches and things that I coated in the same mix of herbs I used for Drogo's scar, too. Now all we could do was wait for him to wake up.

"I have never seen this boy," Amaris said. "From his tattered clothes, I'd say he was a runaway, but what was he running from?" We both stared at the boy. He definitely wasn't from here. It was one thing that I hadn't seen him before, but the fact that Amaris didn't know him made it absolutely definite. She made it a point to know every single person in the homestead. He had dark chocolate curls that stopped at the base of his neck and reddish skin the color of oak. Small too. Couldn't be any older than 13. I looked over at Drogo, who still stood against the wall and Amaris followed suit, smiling and walking over to him. "How are you, Drogo? Well?" He nodded once then looked at me. "We're sorry to have to wake you. We know you need all the rest you can get." He looked back at her and said something in Dothraki, which made her smile a little. "If you want, now that you're a little better, we can put you in another room to yourself." He looked at the boy and shook his head.

"I will stay with the boy." That made me smile a little on the inside.

"Are you sure? If something happens, we'll be rushing in again."

"You won't have to. I'll stay in here in case he wakes up," I said and Amaris smiled.

"That would be perfect since we're all in the blind with him and don't know what to expect." I nodded and she looked around the room at everything then at the boy again before nodding to Drogo and me and walking towards the door. "I am going to check on Freesia and see how she's fairing." She walked out and shut the door behind her, leaving silence. I pulled the chair from the corner of the room to sit beside the boy's bed with my book.

"You can go back to sleep," I said to Drogo. "If he wakes up, I'll try to be as quiet as possible." He glanced at me from the corner of his eye, but didn't move. I moved the blanket up a little on the boy then looked over at Drogo. I walked to his bed and pulled back the cover to let him get in. He stared and, for a moment, I thought he'd stay there, but he came over to the bed and sat, then turned and looked at me dismissively. I stepped back and he laid back in the bed, pulling the cover to his torso and closing his eyes. Guess that's my cue to sit down. I grabbed my book and sat back in the chair, trying to get comfortable. It wasn't easy, but I was used to it. I've spent plenty of nights sleeping in this chair to look after someone. I glanced over at Drogo and saw him shifting in bed, face a little disgruntled. Maybe he was dreaming. The thought of him dreaming made me smile. It made him more human, somehow. What could he be dreaming of?


End file.
